Sci Fi

Freedom is Key
John hurdles over the lip of the Crater, hand in pocket squeezing the small cloth. The round edges of the heart-shaped locket press against his thumb, he thinks of his mom. He slides against the grainy decline; the bottom is filled with a low sitting fog making the Crater a mile wide cereal bowl. As he skims down he’s engulfed in fear and regret, but if it wasn’t so important to their survival he would’ve never done it. The Dwellers are cruel to trespassers, even teenagers, but Zeke and the Roamers would treat him no differently; so turning back is not an option. He just has to make it to the fog. To the Smokers. John never liked the name, but his brother, Will, chose it because he thought it was funny since they hid under the “smoke”. Will is the leader of their adolescent group of rebels. Not because he’s the oldest but because he’s the only one who has a gun. It had 6 rounds when Will found it, but now only half remain. He took it from Zeke’s chambers after he usurped our father’s crown. Zeke has an entire arsenal of weapons he gathered throughout the years, but he was the only one who had access to it. He carried the small Skull engraved key around with him to remind everyone of the fire power he possessed. Although one revolver is nothing compared to Zeke’s collection, Will still hides it away from everyone, but John knows where. The Smokers preformed a somewhat successful revolt against Zeke and most of them made it to the fog. Save the ones that were stopped by the Roamers or the Dwellers. That was 5 years ago and Zeke still hasn’t been able to find their hideout, thanks to the fog and the Dwellers. The Dwellers are afraid of the fog, but they’ve burrowed themselves around it knowing there’s tons of food under all that milk, also adding extra security to the Smokers. No one knows why they don’t like the fog. Some of the Smokers have theories that it’s what caused the Dwellers planet to implode, but John remains open-minded. When that big chunk of their home, referred to as the “Dweller Egg” hit, the fog exploded with the rubble and eventually settled at the bottom of the Crater.
By Ben Manhan5 years ago in Fiction
The Heartbreak Locket
Shifty was proud of her name. No one else shifted as much garbage a day as she did and no one else had so nice things to sell quite like her. Then, when the deals went wrong, and they often did, no one disappeared as quickly as she could.
By Jack Latetide5 years ago in Fiction
The Maintenance
We were builders once. Humanity, I mean, not us. Then, three hundred years ago, they built one final marvel -- a great, shared simulation -- and sealed themselves inside it. All that's left for the rest of us is to keep the lights on. It's decent work, as far as those things go. You needed a skill to keep your hands busy out here or you'd go a little space-mad.
By C.M. Wood5 years ago in Fiction
Clear Skies
Adam listened to the old man puffing on that last hill, but he knew he was good for it; no doubt taking in the crisp, clean air. He was always talking about that and how it used to be thick with brown, dirty smoke.
By Anne van Alkemade5 years ago in Fiction
Call that Karma
Some call it fate, I call it karma. Las Vegas is literally a beach town while Cape Town is the new Atlantis. I’ve heard stories about a place called San Francisco but only in fairytales and urban legends. There’s underwater tours for the ultra wealthy but I would never do it even if I had the money. Not saying I knew there was something down there, I didn’t. I don’t think anyone knew or could’ve ever guessed. Especially not all those rich people, they’re dumb as rocks for thinking their money still matters when humankind is on the verge of collapse.
By Sofia Dolores5 years ago in Fiction
Camellias. Top Story - June 2021.
The net didn’t bother her anymore. She had gotten used to the way the tan mesh obscured her vision and turned the world into an abstract painting. She liked the way it shielded the harsh sun. After a few years of wearing the protective suit, her eyes had become unaccustomed to the vibrant colors of the unshielded world and the bright light of the sun.
By Natalie Spack5 years ago in Fiction
The Eon
The Eon ‘’Look for the one with God between their shoulders.’’ A voice says. Smoke strangles along the distance of a waning day. I look around and then up to the sky. Night is almost here, the purple and blue bleeding into the orange like claws tearing into flesh. How greedy. I take a deep breath feeling the thickness of the air in my lungs.
By Kai5 years ago in Fiction
Home is Where the Heart Glows
Part 1: Captain’s Log My name is Greggory Gifford. For nearly a decade I have been captain of our journey through the inner solar system to evaluate the progress of Earth’s colonies on Mars, its moons, and our moon. The mission was successful as the harvest exceeded all expectations. Prior to departure, I submitted a request to schedule a return voyage to all locations to prepare for the next season. I am still awaiting a reply from base command. This has left me puzzled. I hope the Global Union has not forgotten us after being away for so long. Our homecoming vessel was launched about three months ago, so I am curious if my message failed to maintain its coordinates.
By Andrew Cosgrave5 years ago in Fiction
Tontine
My H20 scanner showed a pool of uncontaminated water in a cave beneath the long crumbled Hoover Dam. I glanced around to make sure no one was watching before. I slipped in the crawl space between two enormous slabs of concrete.
By Dr Oolong Seemingly5 years ago in Fiction
The Signal
The intruder squeezed the chain of the locket around Jayce’s neck, leaving a heart-shaped imprint. She flailed for anything that would help, and her hand came in contact with the knitting needle that had defined most of her adult life. She thrust it backward, heard the crunch, and felt the warm blood splatter on her skin. She turned around to see a man in a grey suit holding his neck while his life force gushed from his body.
By Aaron Frale5 years ago in Fiction
Bastion 4
Aguilar stands in the rain while his abuelita fumbles with her keys. She is trying to open the security gate that protects her store from nighttime bandits. Aguilar is nine, nearly ten, and short for his age. His flip-flops grow slimy under the torrent and the wetter his underwear becomes, the more it starts to itch. Then the sun emerges from behind the heavy clouds and the rain suddenly stops.
By Mack Devlin5 years ago in Fiction
The Diary of Jenna Jones
Dear Diary, it is day 60 of the year 2241 in this new world order. Once the revolution came to an end the government was overthrown we started living in a lawless world, which is terrifying. I just heard about a massive explosion in what used to be Seattle. Some residual feelings left over from the revolution I guess. Thankfully I don’t think anyone was hurt. We are running out of supplies which means I have to go get some soon. My family is barely holding together. To quote my dad “Jenna, you have to think smart, if something happens to your mother and I you will be on your own and need to know how to survive. Never stay out after dusk and never go out before dawn.” The night time is the worst time because that’s when the monsters the government created to fight the revolution come out. They are like a wolf but they have the bite and killing capacity of a black widow spider. They were made to kill and will not give up if they see you. Basically you are marked until they catch you. They are so stealthy you never know where they will be. Thankfully I have yet to see one. I guess is should turn in for the night. Until next time. Jenna Jones.
By Sarah Chastain5 years ago in Fiction